The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal RightsLantern Books, 2004 - 208 sider Buddhism ought to be an animal rights religion par excellence. It has long held that all life forms are sacred and considers kindness and compassion the highest virtues. Moreover, Buddhism explicitly includes animals in its moral universe. Buddhist rules of conduct--including the first precept, "Do not kill"--apply to our treatment of animals as well as to our treatment of other human beings. Consequently, we would expect Buddhism to oppose all forms of animal exploitation, and there is, in fact, wide agreement that most forms of animal exploitation are contrary to Buddhist teaching. Yet many Buddhists eat meat--although many do not--and monks, priests, and scholars sometimes defend meat-eating as consistent with Buddhist teaching. The Great Compassion studies the various strains of Buddhism and the sutras that command respect for all life. Norm Phelps, a longtime student of Buddhism and an acquaintance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, answers the central questions of whether Buddhism demands vegetarianism and whether the Buddha ate meat. He is not afraid to examine anti-animal statements in Buddhist lore--particularly the issues of whether Buddhists in non-historically Buddhist countries need to keep or to jettison the practices of their historical homelands. |
Indhold
| 1 | |
Life on the Farm | 7 |
Mother Beings | 25 |
Reason and Rights | 35 |
The Great Compassion | 42 |
Thus Have I Heard | 55 |
The Last Supper | 73 |
A Branch of Sorrow | 85 |
The Western Seduction | 135 |
The Diamond Vehicle and the Dalai Lama | 147 |
The Rosary of Life | 160 |
Notes | 171 |
Glossary of AnimalRelated Terms | 183 |
Glossary of Buddhist Terms | 187 |
Suggestions for Further Reading | 193 |
WebsitesResources | 199 |
Almindelige termer og sætninger
agriculture ahimsa Angulimala Animal Liberation animal products animal realm animal rights argument Ashoka Avalokiteshvara bodhichitta bodhisattva Buddha nature Buddha's teachings Buddhadharma Buddhist ethics Buddhist practice Buddhist scriptures Buddhist teachings cabbage cause Chan Khong chickens compas compassion compassionate confinement shed cruelty dairy Dalai Lama dharma dhism dhist eat meat eggs emotional enlightenment factory farms fish flesh Geshe happiness harm Holiness hunting Ibid Indian intensive confinement Kapleau karma killing language living lovingkindness Magadhi Mahayana scriptures Mahayana sutras mals meat-eating meditation mind monks moral negative karma nirvana nonhuman animals nonviolence pain Pali Canon pigs Precept precious human birth protection Rahula rebirth reborn Rinpoche rosary samsara sangha Sanskrit sentient shramana slaughter slaughterhouse someone Soulé spiritual practice suffering and death sukara-maddava Surya Sutta teachers Theravada Theravadin Thich Nhat Hanh Tibetan Buddhism tion tradition translated ultimate University Vajrayana vegan vegan lifestyle vegetarian vegetarian diet wisdom York
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Side xv - It is regrettable that many scholars forget this great ideal of the Buddha's teaching and indulge in only dry philosophical and metaphysical divagations when they talk and write about Buddhism. The Buddha gave his teaching ‘for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world.'
Side 37 - If the being eaten were all, there is very good reason why we should be suffered to eat such of them as we like to eat: we are the better for it, and they are never the worse. They have none of those long-protracted anticipations of future misery which we have.
Side 37 - Is it the faculty of reason, or perhaps the faculty of discourse? But a full-grown horse or dog is beyond comparison a more rational, as well as a more conversable animal, than an infant of a day, a week, or even a month old. But suppose the case were otherwise, what would it avail? The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but Can they suffer?”
Side 47 - that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us and
Side 38 - I have had two pains.' Even in the single pain, there is no self to say ‘I am in pain'—for if it could distinguish itself from the sensation—the bed from the stream—sufficiently to say ‘I am in pain,' it would also be able to connect the two sensations as its experience.”
Side 47 - All beings tremble before danger, all fear death. When a man considers this, he does not kill or cause to kill. All beings fear before danger, life is dear to all. When a
Side 32 - does not kill or cause to kilL All beings fear before danger, life is dear to all. When a man considers this, he does not kill or cause to kill.”
Side v - BEFORE DANGER, ALL FEAR DEATh. WHEN A MAN CONSIDERS ThIS, HE DOES NOT KILL OR CAUSE TO KILL. ALL BEINGS FEAR BEFORE DANGER, LIFE IS DEAR TO ALL. WHEN A
Side 62 - etc.; they will fall into the wombs of still more greedily flesh-devouring and still more terrible Rakshasas. Falling into such, it will be with difficulty that they can ever obtain a human womb; how much more [difficult] attaining Nirvana!
Side 45 - According to Buddhism, for a man to be perfect, there are two qualities that he should develop equally: compassion (karuna) on the one side, and wisdom (panna) on the other.”